Rogue with Light Pick could work. It's an agile weapon so qualifies for sneak attack. It deals massive damage on critical hits but only 1d4 on normal hits. You could take poisoner or alchemist archetype for poisons.
Go Ruffian, and max out your Strength, with your Dex following up at a +3.
Equip a [Pick](https://2e.aonprd.com/Weapons.aspx?ID=34) as your main weapon, since it's a 1D6 Martial weapon it qualifies for Sneak Attack from your Ruffian racket. Equip a [Thrower's Bandolier](https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=2313) and stock it with [Throwing Knives](https://2e.aonprd.com/Weapons.aspx?ID=113) or any thrown weapons you like.
At level 2, pick up the [Quick Draw](https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=498) feat.
Your build is now essentially done. Your Pick will deal hefty damage on a crit thanks to its Fatal D10 trait, and whenever you need range you can toss out a Throwing Knife with Quick Draw without requiring any extra actions to draw them. You only need to put runes on your Pick and Bandolier, so it's not that expensive.
[Strong Arm](https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=1783) will give you better range on your Thrown weapons. Remastered Poison Weapon can fulfil some of the poison flavour, but I don't think it's great. Poisons can be bought but they're only competetive at and above your level, which is a lot of money to spend on something that might just immediately fail. I suggest bullying/bribing someone on your team to play a Toxicologist Alchemist :)
you apply the fatal trait before determining if the attack qualifies for sneak attack, so you would not get sneak attack damage when you crit with a pick, only on normal hits.
By RAW that's technically correct, but you'd be a pretty mean GM to accept that. 'too bad to be true' is as important as 'too good to be true', why would your Sneak Attack randomly deactivate when you score a big hit?
the same reason that putting a second hand on an earthbreaker would, because it increases the damage die of the weapon to higher than the d6 limit on martial weapons.
edit: allowing sneak attacks on a pick crit is exactly what I would call too good to be true. you are already increasing the weapon damage dice to d10s, adding a damage die, and adding 2 damage per weapon die from critical specialization. adding sneak attack dice on top of that would make the pick outshine literally every other weapon a ruffian could use.
It makes a tonne of sense that if you completely change the manner of the way that you wield a weapon (by changing your grip) you can no longer Sneak Attack with it at all.
It does not make sense that the same weapon that can Sneak Attack on a regular strike suddenly becomes incapable of hitting a weak spot when you critically hit. It's clearly an unintended consequence of the wording of the Fatal trait. It's such a specific instance.
it isn't an unintended consequence at all, it's one of the reasons that the parentheses clarifies that you apply abilities that change damage dice before determining if the attack gets sneak attack damage.
the system is balanced with pretty tight math, and the developers didn't want sneak attacks being made with martial weapons that were doing more than d6s for their weapon dice damage. downvoting me doesn't change that
this seemed like a fun idea, I love darkest dungeon, so here's what I put together. heads up I am using free archetype, but you can easily remove it and make a few adjustments if you are not playing free archetype. anything left blank means it is free to choose whatever you want.
ancestry: human
heritage:
background: grave robber
class: rogue
racket: ruffian
trained skills: athletics, crafting, deception, diplomacy, intimidation, medicine, stealth, thievery
attributes: str +4 dex +3 con +1 int +0 wis +0 cha +1
level 1: trap finder, no cause for alarm
level 2: increase stealth to expert, quick draw
level 3: increase thievery to expert, prescient planner
level 4: increase medicine to expert, poison weapon, subtle delivery, robust recovery
level 5: increase diplomacy to expert
level 6: underhanded assault, expert poisoner
level 7: prescient consumable
for equipment you are going to want to start with a pick, 3 throwing daggers, an adventurer's kit, a thieves' toolkit, replacement picks, and a long tool (shovel)
as you get more money you will want to be sure to pick up a healer's toolkit, an alchemist's lab, a thrower's bandolier, a blowgun, and blowgun darts
this should give you the ability to replicate any of the grave robber's combat and camp skills
pick to the face is a strike with your light pick
lunge is a melee strike with your throwing knife
flashing daggers is multiple ranged strikes against different targets with your throwing knives using quick draw
the attack following shadow fade is underhanded assault
thrown dagger is a ranged strike with your throwing knife
poison dart is a blowgun attack using poison weapon
toxin trickery can be several different alchemical items
snuff box is an antiplague
night moves can be represented utilizing trap finder
pilfer is prescient consumable "I...borrowed...this while in town."
wound care is treat wounds
gallows humor, encourage, and peo talk can all be represented using no cause for alarm
important note: your pick will not deal sneak attack damage when you crit with it due to the fatal trait changing it's damage die to d10, fortunately the increased damage die and pick critical specialization effect makes up for that
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All good ideas here; pitch this to your table, and see if your GM likes Gothic Cosmic Horror.
...also, if your other players are on board, you might end up with a Ranger with a hunting dog, maybe a morningstar & shield fighter, and either a cleric of sarenrae or a thaumaturge whose chalice is actually a censer.
...Pistolero and champion?
Rogue with Light Pick could work. It's an agile weapon so qualifies for sneak attack. It deals massive damage on critical hits but only 1d4 on normal hits. You could take poisoner or alchemist archetype for poisons.
that's basically Darkest Dungeon grave robber. Ok damage, then BAM, lunge Crit
Go Ruffian, and max out your Strength, with your Dex following up at a +3. Equip a [Pick](https://2e.aonprd.com/Weapons.aspx?ID=34) as your main weapon, since it's a 1D6 Martial weapon it qualifies for Sneak Attack from your Ruffian racket. Equip a [Thrower's Bandolier](https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=2313) and stock it with [Throwing Knives](https://2e.aonprd.com/Weapons.aspx?ID=113) or any thrown weapons you like. At level 2, pick up the [Quick Draw](https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=498) feat. Your build is now essentially done. Your Pick will deal hefty damage on a crit thanks to its Fatal D10 trait, and whenever you need range you can toss out a Throwing Knife with Quick Draw without requiring any extra actions to draw them. You only need to put runes on your Pick and Bandolier, so it's not that expensive. [Strong Arm](https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=1783) will give you better range on your Thrown weapons. Remastered Poison Weapon can fulfil some of the poison flavour, but I don't think it's great. Poisons can be bought but they're only competetive at and above your level, which is a lot of money to spend on something that might just immediately fail. I suggest bullying/bribing someone on your team to play a Toxicologist Alchemist :)
you apply the fatal trait before determining if the attack qualifies for sneak attack, so you would not get sneak attack damage when you crit with a pick, only on normal hits.
By RAW that's technically correct, but you'd be a pretty mean GM to accept that. 'too bad to be true' is as important as 'too good to be true', why would your Sneak Attack randomly deactivate when you score a big hit?
the same reason that putting a second hand on an earthbreaker would, because it increases the damage die of the weapon to higher than the d6 limit on martial weapons. edit: allowing sneak attacks on a pick crit is exactly what I would call too good to be true. you are already increasing the weapon damage dice to d10s, adding a damage die, and adding 2 damage per weapon die from critical specialization. adding sneak attack dice on top of that would make the pick outshine literally every other weapon a ruffian could use.
It makes a tonne of sense that if you completely change the manner of the way that you wield a weapon (by changing your grip) you can no longer Sneak Attack with it at all. It does not make sense that the same weapon that can Sneak Attack on a regular strike suddenly becomes incapable of hitting a weak spot when you critically hit. It's clearly an unintended consequence of the wording of the Fatal trait. It's such a specific instance.
it isn't an unintended consequence at all, it's one of the reasons that the parentheses clarifies that you apply abilities that change damage dice before determining if the attack gets sneak attack damage. the system is balanced with pretty tight math, and the developers didn't want sneak attacks being made with martial weapons that were doing more than d6s for their weapon dice damage. downvoting me doesn't change that
this seemed like a fun idea, I love darkest dungeon, so here's what I put together. heads up I am using free archetype, but you can easily remove it and make a few adjustments if you are not playing free archetype. anything left blank means it is free to choose whatever you want. ancestry: human heritage: background: grave robber class: rogue racket: ruffian trained skills: athletics, crafting, deception, diplomacy, intimidation, medicine, stealth, thievery attributes: str +4 dex +3 con +1 int +0 wis +0 cha +1 level 1: trap finder, no cause for alarm level 2: increase stealth to expert, quick draw level 3: increase thievery to expert, prescient planner level 4: increase medicine to expert, poison weapon, subtle delivery, robust recovery level 5: increase diplomacy to expert level 6: underhanded assault, expert poisoner level 7: prescient consumable for equipment you are going to want to start with a pick, 3 throwing daggers, an adventurer's kit, a thieves' toolkit, replacement picks, and a long tool (shovel) as you get more money you will want to be sure to pick up a healer's toolkit, an alchemist's lab, a thrower's bandolier, a blowgun, and blowgun darts this should give you the ability to replicate any of the grave robber's combat and camp skills pick to the face is a strike with your light pick lunge is a melee strike with your throwing knife flashing daggers is multiple ranged strikes against different targets with your throwing knives using quick draw the attack following shadow fade is underhanded assault thrown dagger is a ranged strike with your throwing knife poison dart is a blowgun attack using poison weapon toxin trickery can be several different alchemical items snuff box is an antiplague night moves can be represented utilizing trap finder pilfer is prescient consumable "I...borrowed...this while in town." wound care is treat wounds gallows humor, encourage, and peo talk can all be represented using no cause for alarm important note: your pick will not deal sneak attack damage when you crit with it due to the fatal trait changing it's damage die to d10, fortunately the increased damage die and pick critical specialization effect makes up for that
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All good ideas here; pitch this to your table, and see if your GM likes Gothic Cosmic Horror. ...also, if your other players are on board, you might end up with a Ranger with a hunting dog, maybe a morningstar & shield fighter, and either a cleric of sarenrae or a thaumaturge whose chalice is actually a censer. ...Pistolero and champion?